


How'd it end up like this?

by doodlesdoom



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions, Pokemon
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Love Triangles, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love, Who knows! Let's see how this goes~, eventual smut maybe??? :0c
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-09 13:45:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12889161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doodlesdoom/pseuds/doodlesdoom
Summary: After fighting your way to the top and being crowned "Alola's first champion", dismantling Team Skull, fighting Ultra Beasts, saving the world, and capturing god-tier Pokemon, what's a girl to do around here? "Help cleaning up Po Town" was definitely not on the forefront of your bucket list, that's for sure. But at last, here you are, bucket and mop in hand, and a particularly grouchy old man yelling at your every move.How'd it end up like this?





	How'd it end up like this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was a bit sad to see there wasn't more Nanu/reader fics out there! He has to be one of my favorite Pokemon characters in a long time, so I decided to dust off my keyboard and try writing something :3  
> This is my second attempt at writing a slow burn, and my first ever Pokemon fic, so please go easy on me!
> 
> Reader is female age 18-23 ish  
> I could never find Nanu's official age, but I think of him somewhere 47-50 with premature graying 
> 
> Welp with that out of the way, I hope you enjoy! Kudos and comments are highly appreciated! ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿

The Po Town police station opened with a high pitched whine, revealing a very disheveled Nanu showered in darkness. It was obvious your knocking had woken him from a deep slumber. The whites of his eyes were slightly red and his eyes were off focused as he looked you over. His ash gray hair was stuck up in a strong defiance against gravity, and the hand he just ran through it made it just that much worst. He wore black sweatpants with a red short sleeve shirt that was littered with mysterious stains that you could only guess was instant ramen and liquor due to the strong smell that emanated from him. In his left hand, he held a mug of coffee. Though, you weren't entirely sure about that. It looked like coffee, but it smelt more like vodka.

"What do you want?" he snapped, clearly irritated with your silence.

"U-um..." you took a second to clear your thoughts. You adjusted your clear umbrella before continuing, "Good morning, Kahuna Nanu! Professor Kukui sent me to help you with Po Town!" You tried your best to turn your previous grimace into a smile, but the stench of alcohol was stinging your eyes. How could he drink something so strong this early in the day?! And after waking up, at that!

He took a noisy sip from his mug, "The hell you on about, girl?"

You gritted your teeth.

_'As irresponsible as always, I see...'_

"The professor told me he sent you an email on your pokefinder. We agreed, since Team Skull has dismantled and all, that it was time we started to clean up the city and bring life back to it. I could have sworn he said you gave the 'ok'."

Nanu glanced to the side in thought and mumbled, "I did say something like that, didn't I?" He clicked his tongue in irritation, "Why so damn early, though, girl? Couldn't it have waited 'till at least noon?"

 

"...It's... It's 2:30 in the afternoon, sir..." 

"... Oh, is it now?" His eyes glanced up the drizzling sky. "Whatever."

"So, uh... May I have the key to the gate, please?"

 

His eyes came back down to study your face, a brow raising," There is no key. Just go in." 

If he didn't look irritated before, he sure did now.

"A-ah right! Sorry about that. It's been awhile since I've been here," you stammered, cowering beneath his burning glare, eyes darting to the muddy ground. "I guess I'll be getting started now. Sorry for bothering you."

 

He grunted a response and took another sip of coffee before slamming the heavy metal door in your face. 

_'Well... that was certainly... something...'_

You had forgotten how unfriendly he could be sometimes, but that definitely refreshed your memory. 

You adjusted your umbrella once more and gripped the heavy plastic bag full of some supplies you thought you'd need.

 _'The least he could have done was invite me in to warm up'_ you frowned, turning towards the gated town further down the road.

 

The pitter patter of the heavy rain kept you company on the short walk over. You closed your eyes as the sweet smell of rain filled your nose. It was a strangely nice change of pace from the busy cities you were accustomed to. Besides the pouring rain, the only things you could hear was the roaring wind that would spike up now and again, and the various battle cries from Pokemon out in the tall grass. It was sorta... nice.

The large door to Po Town barely budged as you planted your body firmly against it and pushed with all your might. Only after calling forth your machamp the door opened to reveal the town in all its chaotic glory. It wasn't really that bad, to be honest. Defiantly seen brighter days, but manageable. Or so you initially thought.

Professor Kukui told you to go around and send some pictures to him through your pokefinder. You reach for it in your back pocket causing it to fling out on its own. 

"Heya, Hiya!" Rotom greeted cheerfully.

"Hey, Rotom! You think you can go around and snap some pics for the Professor while I start cleaning up?"

"Of course! Be back in a few!" 

You watched as the small device flew up high and disappeared behind a building before heading over to the closest building which happened to be the long-abandoned Pokemon center. You dropped the plastic bag off at the steps, making sure the goods were underneath a small outing of the center's roof which kept them fairly dry, before taking a real look around. Graffiti plastered the walls, sidewalks streets, lampposts, and even some bushes. Almost all of the windows on every building were smashed in along with their shutters. The street had begun to crack which allowed weeds to grow anywhere a shred of dirt showed. The grass had also all but died and was replaced with dandelions and crabgrass. You closed the umbrella and rest it on your side. From what you could see and base off what little knowledge of home repair you did know, this was going to be a pretty penny to fix.

 

The rustling of a bag pulled you out of your thoughts. You turned to see an ex-team skull grunt rummaging through your things, tossing out what he deemed unusable.

"Hey!" you shouted perhaps a bit too loudly out of your shock and anger.

The boy jumped and froze. His head slowly turned towards you, exposing wide, shocked eyes. Judging by his reaction, he looked as though he genuinely didn't see you standing a mere 3 feet from him. Now that you got a good look at his face, he didn't seem that much older than you. Somewhere in his early to mid-twenties you would guess. A tiny form of blue scruff peppered his somewhat round jaw, giving him a bit of a rough, yet young look. His eyes were a dark brown which reflected your angry face just as good, if not better, than a mirror. A black cap sat loosely tilted upon his head hiding most of his light blue hair beneath it. An all-white bandana clung to his neck, but other than that he was wearing the traditional team skull get up.

You noticed his breathing picked up. He looked as though he was facing down a bear instead of a young woman who was about a foot shorter than him. His eyebrows furrowed before he spat out a quick, "Shit!"

Before either one of you could say another word, he darted towards the slightly cracked Pokemon center doors and disappeared into the dark building.

 

You took a step forward and prepared yourself to go in until a familiar voice stopped you.

"The profezzzor would like to speak to ya!" Rotom floated down behind you, giving you a near-death experience.

"Don't... _DO THAT_!" You yelled clutching at your chest, "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry, sorry!" he buzzed, "I didn't mean to! But the profezzzor is online. Do you want me to tell him to call you back later?"

 

"No, no, put him through," you said, straightening your clothes out.

Rotom's face disappeared to reveal Kukui's smiling one.

"Alola, cousin!" he greeted, giving you the friendly hand gesture, "Thanks for checking things out for me! How goes it?"

"It goes... pretty badly if I'm honest," you laughed nervously, scratching the back of your head, "Did you get the pictures Rotom sent you?"

"Sure did, yeah! The place is certainly a bit rougher than I remember," he gave an apologetic smile, "Sorry to put you through this by yourself. If I wasn't so busy..."

"It's fine, professor!" you assure him, giving the brightest smile you could muster, "It's about high time the Alola Champion did something instead of sitting in the Champion's chair all day! I'm more than happy to help in any way I can!"

Your smile must have done the trick cause one twice as bright grew on his face, "Yeah? Ah, that's great to hear, lil buddy! I promise as soon as the lab results start coming in, I'll call for my Charizard. Just do a few small things until I get there, like picking up some litter. Oh! And I have a message I'd like you to give to Kahuna Nanu!"

Your stomach wavered at the mention of that guy's name, but you faked a smile and ignored it, "Sure! What would you like me to tell him?"

 

And with that the professor hung up, revealing Rotom's face again. "Anything else I can help you with?" he smiled.

"Not right now, but thanks, Rotom. Go ahead and take a break. I want to look around a bit more."

"Okay! Remember to take a break when you get tired!" he beeped before his screen turned black and he fell into your hands. You put him in your back pocket and turned to the Pokemon center's entrance. The majority of the stuff you had in your bag laid sprawled out on the damp cement. You grumbled as you began picking them up and back into the mostly dry bag. Lucky for you it was mostly spray paint cans and varies sized brushes, but there was a paint suit that unfortunately got the worst damage. You cursed as you shook it off the best you could and headed into the building.

It was almost pitch dark, but once your eyes adjusted to the darkness, you could make out the usual counters of the cafe, Pokehealing station, and the small mart. It was eerily quiet. The only thing you could hear was the dull, rhythmic pitter-patter of the heavy rain hitting the roof. Somewhere there must have been a leak because you could also here a steady trickle hitting a puddle on the marble floor. You walked over to where the trademark fountain only found in Alola's Pokecenters and drapped the paint suit over it. Maybe it'll be still usable after it dries?

" _grrrrrrrrrrrr ruff!_ "

 

You paused at the unmistakable Pokemon noise. Your eyes had adjusted a bit more allowing you to now see the graffiti-covered walls, floors, broken screens, and endless amount of cardboard boxes. No sight of that boy nor a Pokemon. Regardless, your fingers twitched to your belt that held your pokeballs.

"Come out," you demanded, trying your best to keep your voice from shaking. You may have just about defeated every known Pokemon trainer in the region, but that didn't mean you were fearless. The building seemed to groan in agonizing pain as a gust of wind whirled rapidly outside.

" _Mmmmmmm mrffff mrfff mufff!_ "

The same Pokemon barked again, but this time it sounded as though it was being muffled by something or someone. You realized it was coming from somewhere behind the Pokemon healing station, and began to slowly make your way over there. Your pokeball was in hand now which held your strongest beast. Your steps were slow, deliberate, anxious steps as you crept closer and closer and closer until you reached the counter's edge.

It was that ex-grunt again. He was curled up in the farthest crook underneath the countertop, hunched over and groaning as he squirmed with his stomach firmly covered with his hands

"Hey," you softly said, a bit worried, "Are you alright? Are you sick? I'm sorry if I scared you-"

A black shadowed jumped from him and hit you square on the forehead, sending you back and hitting the ground hard with an "oof". It took a second for your vision to come back, but when it did, you were met with a growling poochyena standing on your chest.

"Grunt! No! Stop it!" the boy leaped over the counter and swooped the small creature up, "I'm sorry! She's not normally like this! Are you okay?!"

He set the pooch down on the counter where it continues to glare at you before offering a hand to you, "I'm seriously sorry, yo."

You took hold of his hand and with an effortless heave, you flew to your feet. Perhaps a bit too quickly. You couldn't get your footing right as blood rushed from your head, giving momentarily lightheadedness and crashed into him. Your weight pushed him into the counter, but he didn't really seem to notice, asking, "Are you okay?" once again.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," you finally answered, leaning into his chest until your vision stopped spinning. He smelled surprisingly good. Not like, "just had a shower and wearing name brand cologne", good, but rather, "rainwater, cheap deodorant, and... an amber musk-like smell"? It was hard to pinpoint, but it smelt so pleasant you closed your eyes to actually take it all in.

 

And then you realized how much of a creep you were acting like.

 

You threw yourself away, scaring both him and his poochyena to attention.

"I'm fine now, thanks!" you said, feeling your face warm up a bit at his closeness. You noticed your hand in his and shook him loose before shoving them awkwardly into your pockets.

He and his Pokemon both exchanged confused looks before he let out a weary, "O-okay?"

"Wait a minute! Your the one who was going through my things earlier! You ruined my paint suit!" you exclaimed, pointing over to the drapped white suit.

"Doesn't look that bad to me," he grumbled, looking over at it, "Those things are pretty durable. Just let it air dry."

"Still! Don't you know it's rude to go through things that don't belong to you?!"

"U-um... I guess?"

He looked a bit lost for words and looked over to his Pokemon for help. "Sorry?"

_'Well, nothing was really damaged, so I guess I can't be too angry...'_

"What are you doing here, anyway? Didn't Team Skull abandon this place?"

"...Yeah," he scratched the back of his head, "Well I- Wait."

 

His eyes finally met yours as he suddenly asked, "Are you with that cop?"

"What? What cop?"

 

"Don't play dumb with me!" his voice roared, bouncing off the empty center's wall, as he balled up his fist as if to get ready to box you. Even his poochyena let out a rough bark of its own as it stood up and growled at you.

"That cop Nanu. You with him or nah?" He asked through gritted teeth and raised fist.

You raised your hands in crouched ever so slightly to make yourself smaller, "Woah, woah, chill! I'm with professor Kukui! I just came to check out the town's damage and help clean up. I don't want any trouble."

 

He seemed a bit hesitant, but eventually, he lowered his fist, "My bad, yo. It's just that old dude's been flanking my ass for over two months now."

"Why?" You asked, eyebrows raising. He didn't look like a bad guy. A bit rough, but not bad at all.

"I'm the last grunt who won't leave this place. To be honest, I don't really even know where everyone went. I just woke up here to find out the gang broke up and split ways. How they gonna leave a homie like that?" He asked more to himself than you and shook his head.

"Anyways, since I'm the only one left, now that dude wants to do his job," he grumbled, crossing his arms and leaning on the counter. "Didn't mean to raise my fist to a girl, but I've been on edge every damn day because of him."

You nodded, not really sure what to say to that. 

"What are you going to do when the town's cleaned up, then?" you finally asked.

He hummed in thought, "Get a job? I mean, that's what people my age do, right?"

"Yeah, I guess..."

 

The rain outside seemed to be lightening up as the seconds ticked by, and you both silently listened as it stopped altogether, not really sure what to say to one another.

"Hey..." he said carefully, drawing your attention again, "Do you think... Do you think Kukui is willing to pay someone like me to help out?"

His eyes were downcasted as he asked, almost in a bashful little kid matter.

"I don't see why not!" You smiled. "I mean, we need as much helping hands as possible! Though, I can't really promise the pay will be all that great..."

 

"That's fine!" he beamed, "I just really need to get a start at saving a few dollars!"

You smiled, "Then I'll put in a word for you! When can you start?"

"A-um... Tomorrow?" he offered, giving you a crooked smile.

 

"That's perfect!" you clapped your hands together. You needed to find some help, and as luck may have it, you found one on your first day. Then a thought struck you.

"I'm sorry, I didn't even ask your name yet."

"Oh, it's, um, West." he stammered, scratching the side of his face nervously.

"Alright, West, I'll tell the professor when I get home."

 

The expression he gave you made your heart skip a beat. The smile that stretched across his face was one that would have put even Kukui's smiles to shame. He just looked so damn _happy_. It was as if you were staring directly into the sun itself.

You turned away, feeling your cheeks slightly warm up again, "I better get going while the rain stopped." You turned to go grab your still drenched paint suit, but he stopped you.

"You can just leave here. It should be dry by tomorrow," he said, scratching the back of his neck again, "Take it as part of my apology."

_'What's the harm in leaving it here. One less thing to lug back.'_

"I think I'll take you up on that offer! I'll take the rest of the things with me, though." 

He gave you an understanding nod and watched as you made your way to the broken entrance.

"See you tomorrow, West!"

 "Wait!" You heard him call after you, "What's your name?"

After calling back your name and a quick wave you vanished out the crooked doors.

"I think she's pretty nice, don't you, Grunt?" West turned to his poochyena. The Pokemon grunted a noise, seemingly not too thrilled with the whole situation.

 

You gathered up your bag and umbrella and headed back towards the Town's gate. You were planning on staying in the town for a bit longer to pick up some trash, but you wanted to call the professor while it was still early and make plans. He'd probably be thrilled you already found someone willing to help out already.

When you reached the gate, you were greeted with Nanu's frowning face.

 

"Good timing. Was just about to come get you, girl."

You stopped and faced him, "What can I do for you?"

 "You haven't happened to see any team skull kids around, have you? The place is damn near deserted, save for one or two of 'em. Did you see any around?"

 

His cold red eyes bore into your own as if he somehow knew the answer already and was just waiting for you to confess.

You decided it would be best to lie until you got to talk to the professor about this.

"Can't say I have, Kahana Nanu," you smiled sweetly.

He raised an eyebrow," Mmmhmm? Then who is this "West" person I heard you say goodbye to in that PokeCenter there?"

 

You felt your blood run cold. _'Shit'_

 

"Lying to an officer, little girl? Don't you know you can get time for that?" his eyes narrowed as he searched your face. He must have been standing up fully now because he was casting a shadow down on you, which made him just that much more intimidating.

 

"He's my- um- employee?" you guessed. I mean, it wasn't fully incorrect, right? "He was helping me out with some cleaning."

 

Nanu looked as though he wasn't buying it.

"Don't remember seeing anyone with you."

 

"He came in a bit later than me."

 

"..."

 

"..."

 

And just like that, Nanu returned to his usual, slumped, 'not-caring-which-way-the-wind-blows' posture and regained that dull, uninterested look in his eye.

"Is that so? "

He turned away but your voice stopped him.

 

"The professor! He wanted me to tell you something!"

 

Nanu seemed a bit irritated by your sudden raised voice, but turned back to you with a, "What?"

"He said, "Don't worry about it. Just help her in any way you can instead," the professor's words echoed in your head. You could only guess the 'her' Kukui was referring to eas you.

Nanu clicked his tongue before mumbling out,"I wish he would have just let me paid him back...".

 

"Alright," he sighed," but I ain't doing nothing till tomorrow. Gotta splitting headache."

 

"I was actually heading home today, so that's fine. But can I ask a favor?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Can you hold onto these until tomorrow?" You held up the bag, "It's a bit heavy so I'd hate to carry it all the way back."

 

Nanu didn't say anything. He took the bag out of your hands and scanned the items before lowering it to his side.

"Thank you!" you smiled.

 

"What time you planning on getting here tomorrow," he suddenly asked.

"I was thinking around noon? If that's alright with you, that is."

 

"That'll work fine," he said before turning away and heading back to the police station.

You called for Charizard and strapped the helmet it brought onto your head. You sighed before hopping onto its back.

 

Why did you feel like tomorrow was going to be a long day?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I rushed into introducing West... Sorry about that!  
> I kinda wanted to hurry and set the stage so I can get to the juice of the story *cough cough* porn *cough cough* just a bit quicker.
> 
> I promise to flesh out the characters a bit more in the coming chapters!  
> I'll try to update soon! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ"


End file.
